Combination washing-extracting machine



Dec. 24, 1968 -m5 ETAL COMBINATION WASHING-EXTRACTING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 1V0 Pa e j %/W I Dec. 24, 1968 -n ET AL COMBINATION WASHING-EXTRACTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1967 iz /ezzarah ffa x 592 w Pefief J Meyer Dec. 24, 1968 H ET AL COMBINATION WASHING-EXTRACTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 14, 1967 r'zz/ezzors PifJ Dec. 24, 1968 M. HERTIG ETAL 3,417,582

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United States Patent 6 3,417,582 COMBINATION WASHING-EXTRACTING MACHINE Max Hertig, Onondaga Hill, and Peter J. Meier, Syracuse,

N.Y., assignors to G. A. Braun, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.,

a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 631,076 13 Claims. (Cl. 68-24) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination washer-extracting laundry machine comprising an imperforate shell and a coaxial perforate washing cylinder mounted for rotation within the shell. The shell is pivotally mounted on a supporting frame for movement between a washing-extracting position at which the axis of the shell is horizontally disposed, a loading position at which a door or front end of the shell is raised to receive laundry material from an overhead storage bin, and an unloading position at which the front end of the shell is lowered to discharge the washing material gravitationally to a conveyor system.

Low and high speed electric motors are mounted on the shell for rotating the washing cylinder at a relatively low speed during a washing operation, and at a relatively high speed during an extracting operation. The shell may be subjected to substantial centrifugal forces during an extracting operation. In order to fasten the shell securely to the mounting frame during an extracting operation to preclude relative movement therebetween, while accommodating movement of the shell relative to the frame during loading and unloading operations, the shell is mounted on the frame by means of front and rear lockable bearing units, each of which comprises a mounting stud connected in fixed assembly to the shell and a releasable bearing lock mounted on the frame. Front and rear guide rail assemblies also interconnect the shell and the frame to pivot the front end of the shell upwardly during a loading operation, and the rear end upwardly during an unloading operation.

The releasable bearing locks each include a pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder for performing a locking function, and a pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder is connected to the guide rail assemblies for pivoting the front and rear ends of the shell.

Background of the invention This invention pertains generally to commercial laundry equipment and more particularly to commercial washing-extracting machines having two-speed washing cylin ders, a low speed for use during a washing operation and a high speed for use during an extracting operation.

A recognized economy in the operation of certain prior art commercial washing-extracting machines involves rapid automatic loading and unloading of the machines. One known method involves the loading of laundry ma terial into the machine gravitationally from an overhead storage bin, and unloading the machine gravitationally down to a depository such as a conveyor system for removal of the washed material to another station. In loading the machine the front end of the washing cylinder is tipped upwardly and the laundry material is dropped directly into a door opening formed in the front end of the cylinder. The washing and extracting operations are carried on while the washing cylinder is disposed horizon tally, and during an unloading operation the back end of the washing cylinder is tipped upwardly to enable the laundry material to drop out of the door opening onto the conveyor system.

3,417,582 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 Commercial washing machines of the washing-extracting type, as contrasted with those of the washing only type, are often subjected to substantial vibration due to the high speed of the washing cylinder during an extracting operation and an imbalance of the laundry material within the washing cylinder. As the result of such vibrations it is important that the washing cylinder and its surrounding shell be suitably isolated from the floor or other support surface upon which the machine rests.

Generally the washing cylinder and shell are mounted on a support frame and the frame is supported by the floor with suitable vibration isolators interposed therebetween. In such arrangements it is desirable to clamp or secure the shell and washing cylinder tightly to the mounting frame during the washing and extracting operation (particularly the extracting operation) so that the shell and washing cylinder move together with the mounting frame as a single unit.

However, in order to load and unload the machine gravitationally it is desirable that the shell and washing cylinder be tipped or pivoted upwardly and downwardly as noted hereinabove. Thus, while relative movement between the washing cylinder and mounting frame is desirable during loading and unloading operations, the washing cylinder should be clamped tightly to the mounting frame to preclude relative movement therebetween during a washing and particularly an extracting operation.

The prior art discloses washing machines provided with means for mounting the washing cylinder on a mounting frame to accommodate tipping or pivoting of the washing cylinder for gravitational loading and unloading, but such mounting means are not sufficient for tightly clamping the washing cylinder to the mounting frame to the degree necessary to withstand the substantial vibration generated at relatively high extracting speeds. It will be appreciated that during an extracting operation any looseness between the washing cylinder and the mounting frame as may be occasioned by a less than tight connection therebetween may be highly detrimental to the machine because of the substantial vibratory forces created, particularly with the heavy loads of a commercial machine.

Summary of the invention The present invention involves the provision of means for securely fastening the shell and washing cylinder of a commercial Washing-extracting machine to the mounting frame of the machine during washing and extracting operations so that any vibratory forces which may result from an imbalance of the load move the machine as a unit. In addition, however, the shell mounting means is constructed and arranged so as to enable the front end of the washing cylinder to be tipped or pivoted both upwardly and downwardly relative to the back end during loading and unloading operations so that the laundry material may be quickly and easily, and with a minimum of time and effort, gravitationally loaded into and unloaded from the machine.

The shell mounting means comprises independent means for releasably pivotally connecting the front and rear ends of the shell to the mounting frame. More specifically, the shell (and the washing cylinder journaled for rotation Within the shell)"'is mounted on the mounting frame by means of front and rear bearing units disposed in mutually spaced relation along an axis parallel to the axis of the shell.

Each of the bearing units comprises a cylindrical mounting stud and a releasable bearing lock mounted in fixed assembly on the shell and on the mounting frame and movable toward and away from each other into and out of bearing relation. The mounting stud extends horizontally and at right angles to a vertical plane intersecting the axis of the shell. The bearing lock has a closed position for surrounding and holding the stud in pivotal hearing relation therewith, and a release or open position for enabling the stud to move radially away therefrom and out of bearing relation thereby. Means are provided for changing the position of the bearing lock and power-operated means are provided for independently vertically moving the opposite ends of the shell relative to the mounting frame to raise the front end of the shell relative to the rear end to a loading position when the front bearing unit is unlocked and the rear bearing unit is locked, and to raise the rear end of the shell relative to the front end to an unloading position when the front bearing unit is locked and the rear bearing unit is unlocked.

Each of the bearing units comprises means for retaining its releasable bearing lock in a closed position. Each of the bearing units also features a mounting stud cradle and a lock cap pivotally mounted on the cradle. The cradle and the lock cap both have segmental circularly shaped bearing surfaces for receiving their corresponding mounting stud in bearing engagement.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a commercial washing-extracting machine with means for accommodating gravitational loading and unloading of the machine while avoiding detrimental effects due to the substantial vibratory forces which may obtain at high extracting speeds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a commercial washer-extractor comprising a shell having a washing cylinder journaled therein, a mounting frame for supporting the shell and means for mounting the shell on the frame to pivot the front end of the shell upwardly and downwardly during loading and unloading operations while holding the shell tightly to the mounting frame during washing and extracting operations.

Still another object is to provide a shell mounting arrangement comprising front and rear mounting studs secured to the shell and front and rear releasable bearing locks mounted on the frame to receive the mounting studs, whereby the shell is alternatively pivotable about the front and rear mounting studs to move between loading and unloading positions thereof, but is also securely locked to the frame during washing and extracting operations to preclude vibratory movement between the shell and the mounting frame.

Another object is to provide pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder means for locking and unlocking the mounting stud bearing locks and for pivoting the shell into the loading and unloading positions thereof.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a commercial washingextracting laundry machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1 and includes a storage bin situated above the machine and a conveyor system below the machine for gravitationally loading soiled laundry material such as fabrics, garments and the like into the machine and for removing washed laundry material from the machine;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are side elevational views similar to FIGURE 2 and illustrate the washing cylinder and the shell in raised and lowered positions during loading and unloading operations respectively.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the laundry machine with parts removed and other parts shown in section.

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the laundry machine with certain parts including a front plate removed.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along lines IXIX of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion of the front end of the machine.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a shell mounting bearing lock constructed in accordance With the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 12 is a vertical sectional view looking from the right in FIGURE 11 with parts removed for clarity.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, a combination washing-extracting machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is indicated generally at reference numeral 10. A machine 10 is more particularly characterized as comprising an imperforate cylindrical housing or shell 11 extending on a horizontal axis .between rectangularly shaped front and back plates 12 and 13.

Situated within and disposed coaxially with the shell 11 is a perforated washing cylinder 14 in which soiled material to be laundered is deposited. The washing cylinder 14 is mounted for corotation on a washing cylinder shaft 16. In order to charge the shell 11 with a supply of laundry liquid such as an admixture of hot water and detergent, a rigid pipe 17 which opens into the shell 11 is mounted on the back plate 13. A flexible conduit indicated as reference numeral 17a may be connected to the pipe 17 for delivering the laundry liquid from a suitable source thereof. The laundry liquid may be drained from the drum 11 through a drain 18 equipped with a suitable control mechanism as indicated at 18 in FIGURE 3.

A removable door 20 through which the laundry material is loaded into and removed from the washing cylinder 14 is mounted on the machine 10. Suitable ingress and egress openings in registry with one another are provided respectively in the front plate 12 and the washing cylinder 14. In a closed position of the door 20 as indicated in the solid lines in FIGURE 2, a gasket 24 is interposed between the door and the front plate 12. An open position of the door is indicated in dashed lines. The door is mounfed on a door-mounting assembly indicated generally at reference numeral 23 for movement between the closed and opened positions thereof.

Soiled laundry material is loaded into the machine 10 from a storage bin 26 situated above the front plate 12, and a conveyor system 27 is situated below the front plate for removing the material from the machine 10 after it has been laundered.

During a washing operation the washing cylinder 14 is rotated at a relatively low speed by means of an electric motor 28 and during an extraction operation the cylinder 14 is rotated by a relatively high speed motor 29. Both motors are drivingly connected to the cylinder shaft 16 through a multi V-belt drive 30 which comprises a sheave 31 mounted on the low speed motor 28, and another sheave 32 mounted on the high speed motor 39 and a large sheave 33 keyed to the cylinder shaft 16.

A pair of bearings 16a and 161) are provided for rotatably mounting the shaft 16. Bearing 16a is connected in fixed assembly to the back plate 13 and bearing 16b is securely mounted to a bearing plate 16c which is, in turn securely fastened to the back plate 13.

During washing and extracting operations, and particularly during the high speeds encountered during extracting operations, the drum 11 is subjected to relatively high vibratory forces. In order to accommodate such forces without excessive transmission thereof to a floor or other support surface as indicated at 36 on which the machine pin is supported, four vibration dampeners or spring support units indicated at 37 are interposed between the drum 11 and the floor 36. A pair of base plates 38, 38 extend on either side of the drum 11 and each serves as a support for a pair of the support units 37, 37.

Each of the support units 37 is more particularly characterized as comprising an inverted U-shaped bracked 39 having a horizontal top plate 40. A rod 41 extends slidably through the plate 40 and has a spring retainer 42 mounted at the top end thereof by means of a threaded nut 43. A heavy coil spring 44 is interposed between the plate 40 of the U-shaped bracket 39 and the spring retainer 42.

The two spring support units 37, 37 disposed on each side of the shell 11 are interconnected by a side rail 47, while the two support units disposed respectively at the front and rear ends of the drum 11 are connected by an end rail 46. Extending vertically upwardly from each of the rails 47 is a pair of axially spaced uprights 48, and a horizontally extending side frame 49 is connected in fixed assembly to the upper ends of the uprights 48 on both sides of the machine 18. The end rails 46, 46 and the side rails 47, 47 are both connected in fixed assembly with lower ends 41a of the rods 41, as a consequence of which the entire shell mounting frame comprising the uprights 48 are spring-mounted on the four support units 37.

The Shell 11 is, in turn, supported by the four uprights 48. Interposed between the drum and the upright are four lockable shell bearing units indicated respectively at reference numerals 50-53. Bearing units 50 and 51 are mounted on the upright 48 situated toward the front plate 12, whereas bearing units 52 and 53 are mounted on the uprights situated near the rear plate 13.

The four bearing units 50-53 are substantially identical. Referring to FIGURES 9 and 10, the bearing unit 50 comprises a shell mounting stud 54 securely fastened by suitable means such as a threaded nut 55 to a shaftrnounting bracket 56 connected in fixed assembly by a weld connection or the like to the shell 11.

The cylindrical stud 54 is carried by a bearing lock 58 which comprises a stud cradle 59 and a lock cap 60 pivotally mounted on the cradle 59 by means of a cap pivot pin 61. The cradle 62 is securely fastened to an angle iron 62a having a web portion 63 which is, in turn, connected in fixed assembly to its corresponding upright 48.

Secured to the front plate 12 by a plurality of threaded bolts or the like which extend through a flange 66 thereof is a guide rail assembly 64. Formed in a web portion 67 of the assembly 64 is an axially extending slot 68. A bearing-mounted roller 69 is disposed within the slot 68 and is mounted for rotation on a shaft 70 secured by a press-fit or the like connection to a pivotable actuating lever 71.

The lever 71 is mounted for pivotal movement on a shaft 72 which interconnects a pair of spaced vertical plates 73 and 74 which comprise the upright 48.

Another shaft 76 is mounted on the actuating lever 71 and extends through a bore 77 formed in a bracket 78 which is mounted in turn on a housing 79 of a pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder 80. Actuation of the cylinder 80, which may be of the hydraulic or pneumatic type, has the effect of raising the front and rear ends of the shell 11 during loading and unloading operations of the machine 11. Suitable pressure lines 80a and 80b are connected to the cylinder housing 79, the cylinder 80 being of the reverse-acting type.

Power cylinder 80 is more particularly characterized as comprising a piston 81 and a piston rod 82 reciprocably carried within the housing 79. A shaft 83 is mounted on the outboard end of the piston rod 82 and is connected for pivotal movement with an actuating level 71a of the rear lockable bearing unit 52.

As noted, bearing unit 52 is similar to bearing unit 50 and comprises a bearing lock 58a which is similar to hearing lock 58 and which is mounted on an angle iron 62a connected in fixed assembly to its respective upright 48.

Bearing lock 58a journals a mounting stud 54a (FIG- URE 8) mounted in fixed assembly on a vertical plate 84 which is welded or otherwise suitably connected to the bearing plate 160 and the shell 11. A guide rail assembly 64a is bolted to the plate 160 and comprises a Web portion 67a having formed therein a slot 68a for receiving a roller 69a similar to roller 69. The roller 69a is mounted on the actuating lever 71a in a manner similar to that by which roller 69 is mounted on the actuating lever 71.

Referring to FIGURES 11 and 12, a cylinder bore 85 is formed in a head portion 85a of the lock cap 60 and a complemental bore 86 is formed in an upright leg 86a of the stud cradle so that when the cap 60 is closed, as shown in the dashed lines, to surround the mounting stud 54 the bores 85 and 86 are axially aligned. An inner surface 87 of the cap 60 and an inner surface 88 of the saddle 59 are circularly shaped and machined at close tolerances to snugly grip the mounting stud 54 in the closed position of the lock cap 60.

In order to lock the cap 60 in a closed position a locking stud 89 is axially aligned with the bores 85 and 86 for insertion thereinto. The stud 89 comprises the piston rod of a pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder 90 mounted on a bracket 91 which is connected in fixed assembly to the stud cradle 59. The power cylinder 90 is reverse-acting and a pair of pneumatic lines 90a and 90b are connected at opposite ends of the cylinder 90 for powering the rod 89 into and out of the bores 85 and 86.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 8, the door mounting assembly 23 is more particularly characterized as comprising a pair of horizontally extending pressurized fluidoperated power cylinders 92 and 93 situated on opposite sides of the shell 11. Cylinders 92 and 93 are mounted respectively on a pair of angle irons 94 and 96 securely fixed to the uprights 48. Each of the cylinders 92 and 93 comprises a telescopically slidable piston rod 97 which is reciprocably movable in response to pressurization of the cylinders through pneumatic lines 98 and 98 Interconnecting the distal ends of the piston rods 97, 97 is a horizontally extending door carrier 99 fixedly secured to the door 20 at a central portion 100 thereof. To assist in guiding the door 20 between the open and closed positions thereof, a pair of guides 101 and 102 are slidably mounted on the angle irons 94 and 96 in parallel relation to and immediately above the power cylinders 92 and 93.

Operation In the use of the machine 10 the first operation is to load the washing cylinder 14 with soiled material to be laundered. This involves a pressurization of power cylinders 92 and 93 to move the door 20 from a close-d to an open position. The next step involves the pressurization of the power cylinders 90, 90 of the front lockable bearing units 50 and 51 to remove the locking studs or piston rods 89 from the bores 85 and 86 of the lock caps 60 and the stud cradles 59.

The next step involves the pressurization of power cylinders 80, 80 whereby the piston rods 82, 82 telescope outwardly of the cylinder housing 79, 79.

Since the lock caps 60, 60 of the rear lockable bearing units 52 and 53 are locked in a closed position, the housings 79, 79 of the power cylinders 80, 80 will move toward the front of the unlocked bearing unit 50 and 51 to rotate their respective actuating levers 71, 71 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. The actuating levers 71, 71, in turn, rotate their respective rollers 69, 69 upwardly in the slots 68, 68 of their respective guide rail assemblies 64, 64.

The front end of the shell 11 is thereby tipped or pivoted upwardly to the loading position thereof shown in FIGURE 4. The upward movement of the front mounting studs 54 has the effect of urging their lock caps 60, 60 to an open position as shown in the solid lines of FIGURE 11. A suitable abutment such as the coil spring 103 shown in FIGURE 11 is provided on each of the cradles 59 as a stop for the lock cap 60 in moving to the open position thereof.

After the front end of the drum 11 has been raised to the loading position shown in FIGURE 4 a batch of soiled laundry is loaded into the washing cylinder 14 from the storage bin 26. For this purpose the bin 26 is equipped with a trip lever 104 which, when pushed upwardly, pivots a latch 106 to release a trap door 107 mounted on hinges 108 at an open bottom end 109 of the bin 26. The laundry material then falls by gravity from the bottom of the bin and is directed into the openings 21 and 22 of the shell 11 and the washing cylinder 14 by the trap door 107. The trap door is then raised again to a closed position, during which movement the latch 106 is pivoted to again catch the trap door 107. The latch 106 is biased to a door-locking position by means of a spring 110 mounted on a side wall 111 of the bin 26.

After washing cylinder 14 has been loaded the power cylinder 80 is again actuated to lower the front end of the drum 11 back to the horizontal position as illustrated in FIGURE 2. As the mounting studs 54, 54 of the front bearing units 50 and 51 descend, they engage a pair of ears 1'12, 112 formed on the lock caps 60 of the front bearing locks 58, 58, and pivot the locking caps 60 around the shaft 61 into closed positions thereof as illustrated in the dashed lines of FIGURE 11 wherein the bores 85 and 86 of the lock caps 60 and the saddles 59 are axially aligned. The power cylinders 90, 90 are then actuated to drive the locking studs 89, 89 into their respective bores and the front mounting studs 54, 54 are then held snugly in their bearing locks 58, 58.

The two power cylinders 93, 93 of the door mounting assembly 23 are then actuated to move the door 20 from an open to the closed position thereof as shown in the solid lines in FIGURE 2. Laundry liquid and suitable additives may be charged into the shell 11 through the pipe 17 and the machine is then prepared to operate through washing and extracting operations.

It is noted that as the front end of the shell 11 is raised from the horizontal position thereof shown in FIGURE 2 to the loading position thereof shown in FIGURE 3, the rollers 69, 69 of the front bearing units 50 and 51 move longitudinally in their respective slots 68, 68 as the actuating levers 71, 71 are rotated in a clockwise direction. This relative movement between the rollers and the slots occurs because of the change in center-to-center distance between the corresponding rollers 69 of the front and rear bearing units 50-53 as the front end of the shell 11 is raised. The mounting studs 54, 54 of the rear bearing units 52 and 53 remain locked in their respective bearing locks 58, 58 as the front of the shell 11 is raised to a loading position. The shell 11, of course, rotates or pivots about the rear mounting studs 54a, 54a.

During a washing operation the washing cylinder 14 is rotated at a relatively low speed by the washing motor 28. At the end of the wahing operation, motor 28 is deenergized and the extracting motor 29 is energized to spin the washing cylinder 14 at a relatively high speed. During an extracting operation the drain 18 is normally opened to enable the laundry liquid to drain from the shell 11.

As noted, the present invention is of particular utility in the field of Washing and extracting laundry machines of the larger commercial type. Some machines of this type are sufficiently large to handle loads of up to and beyond 850 pounds (dry weight) of laundry material. The weight of wet laundry material is generally approximately three times its dry weight.

Two of the major problems involved in the operation of such large washing and extracting machines, as noted above, involve (a) the time and effort involved in loading and unloading the machine with laundry material and (b) the substantial vibrations due to centrifugal forces which results from spinning the laundry material at relatively high speeds.

As a result both the tiltability of the shell 11 during loading and unloading operations and the rigid manner in which the shell 11 is mounted on the uprights 48 during extracting operations, the time and effort required in operating the machine through a washing-extracting cycle is substantially reduced and injury to the machine due to vibration is avoided.

At the end of the extracting operaton the rear end of the drum is raised and the laundry material within the washing cylinder '14 is gravitationally unloaded from the machine to fall to the conveyor 27. Specifically, the power cylinders 93, 93 of the door mounting assembly 23 are again actuated to move the door 20 from the closed to the open position thereof. Then the power cylinders 90a, 90a of the rear bearing units 52 and 53 are actuated to unlock the rear bearing locks 58, 58.

The power cylinders 80, are then actuated by pressurizing connections 80a thereby causing the piston rods 82, 82 to rotate the actuating levers 71a, 71a in a counterclockwise direction to raise the rear end of the shell 11.

Since the bearing locks 58, 58 of the front bearing units 50 and 51 are then in closed positions, the shell 11 rotates about the mounting studs 54, 54 of the front bearing units 50, 51. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the rollers 69, 69 of the rear bearing units 52, 53 are moved rearwardly in the slots 68 of the actuating levers 71 as the rear end of the shell 11 is raised to an unloading position.

During the unloading operation, the extracting motor 29 is de-energized and the washer motor 28 is actuated to turn the washer cylinder 14 at a relatively low speed, thereby facilitating discharge of the laundry material therewithin to the conveyor system 27, as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

After all of the laundry material has been unloaded from the washing cylinder 14 the power cylinders 80, 80 are again actuated to lower the rear end of the shell 11 back to a horizontal position, during which movement the mounting studs 54 54 pivot the lock cap 60 60 to their closed positions. Power cylinders 90,, 90,, are then actuated to lock the mounting studs 54 54 in the hearing locks 58 58 The drain 18 may then be closed and the machine 10 is ready to receive another load of laundry material and to undergo another washing-extracting cycle.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of the our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A combination washing-extracting machine comprising an outer imperforate shell and a coaxial perforated washing cylinder journalled therewithin,

motor means for rotating said washing cylinder at washing and extracting speeds,

a mounting frame for supporting said shell,

means for mounting said shell on said frame cornprising front and rear bearing units each comprising a mounting stud and a releasable bearing lock connected in fixed assembly to said shell and to said frame and movable into and out of rotatable bearing rotation with one another,

said mounting stud extending transversely to the axis of said shell and said bearing lock having a closed position for surrounding said stud and for holding said stud in bearing relation therewith and air open position enabling said stud to move out of bearing relation therewith, and

means for individually selectively locking said bearing locks in the closed positions thereof, and

power-operated means for urging the ends of said shell vertically upwardly relative to said frame,

said mounting studs being effective to move their respective bearing locks between the closed and open positions thereof as they are moved into and out of bearing relation therewith.

2. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said bearing units further comprises a stud cradle, and

a lock cap pivotally mounted on said cradle, said cradle and said lock cap having circularly shaped bearing surfaces for receiving their corresponding mounting stud in bearing engagement.

3. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 2,

said lock cap being pivotally disposed on said cradle in the closed position of said bearing unit so that said bearing surfaces are in juxtaposition with each other and comprise a substantially circumferentially continuous bearing surface surrounding said mounting stud, and being pivotally disposed in the open position of said bearing unit so that said bearing surfaces are out of juxtaposition with each other to eliminate said circumferentially continuous bearing surface to enable said mounting stud to be moved from said cradle.

4. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said cradle and said lock cap comprise means forming registered bores in the closed position of said bearing unit and including a powered locking stud removably insertable into said registered bores for locking said bearing unit in the closed position thereof.

5. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 3 and comprising an ear formed on said lock cap and constructed and arranged to overlie said cradle bearing surface in the open position of said bearing unit and to be engaged by its corresponding mounting stud when the stud moves into bearing relation with said cradle to pivot the lock cap into bearing relation with the stud.

6. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said mounting stud and said bearing lock are connected in fixed assembly to said shell and to said frame respectively.

7. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said power-operated means comprises front and rear guide rail assemblies situated in axially spaced relation,

each of said assemblies including a pair of cooperating members comprising a flange and a roller,

one of said members being connected invfixed assembly to said shell and the other member being connected to said frame for vertical movement relative thereto,

said flange having an elongated abutment surface formed thereon extending in substantially parallel relation to the axis of said shell,

said roller engaging said surface for relative longitudinal movement therewith, and v means for vertically moving said other of said members relative to said frame to provide relative longitudinal movement between said cooperating members and to provide corresponding vertical movement to said shell.

8. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said flange is connected in fixed assembly to said shell and said roller is connected to said mounting frame.

9. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said vertical moving means comprises an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said frame,

and

a pressurized fluid-operated power cylinder operatively connected to said lever for providingpivotal movement thereto.

10. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 9 wherein said roller is rotatably mounted on said actuating lever.

11. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 10 wherein the axis of said roller and the axis of its corresponding mounting stud are axially aligned in the closed position of its corresponding bearing unit.

12. The combination washing-extracting meachine as defined in claim 9,

said power cylinder being operatively connected to the actuating levers of both said front and said rear guide rail assemblies for pivoting said actuating levers alternately.

13. The combination washing-extracting machine as defined in claim 9 wherein said flange is aligned with the distal end of its associated mounting stud so as to prevent axial shifting of the stud and radial movement of said shell relative to said frame when the stud is received in bearing engagement with its corresponding bearing unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,601 5/1953 Miller 68-210 X 3,328,984 7/1967 Lowes 6821O X 3,357,213 12/1967 Herbertz 68-21O FOREIGN PATENTS 367,793 4/ 1963 Switzerland.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 68-210 

